The Plan…

…is simple.

With a child who has sensory issues that can sometimes cause me to call him a picky eater, I needed a plan of action to combat his unwillingness to try new foods, and I am here to share that plan of action with you. The goal of my blog is to help parents and kids learn how to make and eat healthy food, ALL without breaking the budget.

The three main tips I have for you are the following:

• Let the kids help you in the kitchen
• Allow the kids to make a mess
• Eat together play together

These are the three main skills you will master from your engagement with Messy Vegan Mama. This sounds super simple, right? But…

…it’s not!

It takes time for us, as parents, to learn how to free our own minds enough to allow play, to allow messes to happen and to allow food to become destroyed through the performance of play.

I think back to the day my one-year-old sat in his high chair using his toddler sized spoon to fling his puréed peas all over the kitchen. I was horrified! And he, well, he was giggling. Those chubby cheeks had dimples from ear to ear. Though having a kitchen decorated in mashed green peas was not my cup of tea, it made me LOL!

This was a teachable moment.

The future me would look back on this moment and learn a valuable lesson; kids don’t just enjoy making messes, they benefit from playing with their food. My catchphrase “eat together play together” sums up the unique message of Messy Vegan Mama.

Those pureed peas were homemade BTW; I made them using my Vitamix, and I am here to tell you that you need to get a Vitamix.

Seriously. get a Vitamix!

I was always aware of the importance of feeding my son homemade, whole foods without any added preservatives, and so I have had a Vitamix since he began eating solids, helping me create healthy foods for him right from the start. He is eight now, and I still use my Vitamix on a daily basis.

But who am I to tell you what to do?

I am certified in plant-based nutrition-WHOA!

The moment I decided to take a course in plant-based nutrition from eCornell University, was the moment that changed my “vegan lifestyle” forever.

I am not the typical vegan who is vegan for the animals, though I do love ALL animals and try to use my platform to help them. Pease check out my partnerships page for more information, collaboration and ways you and your kids can help animals.

Since the day I gave birth to my son. I proclaimed myself vegan. I thought this label would somehow immediately make me healthy.

As it turns out, labeling yourself vegan doesn’t automatically do anything.

Research the foods you eat, the foods you don’t eat, take the time to understand the inner workings of the body, mind and soul. All of these steps are necessary if you want to live a healthy vegan lifestyle, and that is what I want for my family and yours.

That is what lead me to becoming certified in plant-based nutrition. I wanted to know as much as possible, from accredited sources, from the experts, so that I could share my knowledge with you through my recipe creations.

If you want to read more about my experience with the course, please check out this article I wrote and published on Medium, titled Five Reasons to Get a Plant-Based Certificate from eCornell.

Eat together play together

I have taken my years of research and used it along with my own creativity, thoughts and successes in the kitchen to carve out a successful method that actually helps parents and kids learn nutrition as an engaging daily practice, creating a positive relationship with food from the start.

After the pandemic I lost sight of the importance of eating healthy, and I introduced my son to what I like to call “vegan junk food!” I share this because it really doesn’t matter where you currently are on your vegan journey. Maybe you are just beginning. Maybe you tried vegenisim, but failed and want to try again. Maybe you have kids. Maybe you are in the thinking stages of having kids.

My plan incorporates teaching everyone how to have a fun, healthy experience in the kitchen, wherever you are on your vegan journey.

Now, let’s get messy!

Here is what you will find on Messy Vegan Mama

• Homemade vegan recipes for kids and adults
• Healthy plant-based meals that are easy to make
• Budget friendly meal plans with grocery lists
• Strategies to teach kids healthy eating habits

I have scoured the internet for hours upon hours searching for some meal plan to save me from the nightmare of trying to get my child to eat healthy foods that are both budget friendly and simple to make.

Have you shared this struggle?

I have found some helpful insights and delicious recipes here and there. But being a perfectionist, I have never found exactly what I want, which is all of the above in one place. I want ALL the recipes to be kid friendly, meal plans with grocery lists and simple recipes that do not have any expensive or hard to find ingredients. I want simple recipes that are healthy AND delicious to BOTH my son and I, food that we can enjoy day after day, week after week in our busy lives.

I want a vegan utopia!

I have never found this vegan utopia on the internet. Even on social media, I would see posts from parents struggling with the same questions I have about what to feed their vegan kids. Though the answers usually were somewhat helpful, it was never exactly what I wanted. Being the audacious leader that I am, I decided to create it for myself, and now I want to share this with all the parents who struggle to find healthy vegan foods that their kids will eat.

No doubt, this blog will help you with your vegan kids, right?

Don’t miss out on what Messy Vegan Mama has to offer! Please subscribe to my monthly news letter for the latest:

• Easy vegan meal plans
• Health inspired edition of “The Lunch Box”
• Engaging activities
• DIY kitchen organization
• Grocery shopping tips

Also, feel free to check out my YouTube channel here, where I post my weekly, budget friendly vegan grocery hauls from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Target and Aldi’s.